Backer Characters
The Backer Characters are characters created by real-life backers for the Terrain of Magical Expertise Video Game Kickstarter. Much like the series' background characters, these characters were fan submitted and are animated by series creator Chris Niosi and are not only shown in the background of the game, but depending on the tier, will also serve as opponents in the game and will be able to interact with the Dandy Alliance. Backer characters are given to players who donate to the $30, $50, $60, $90, $200, $350 and $500 tiers. $90 are the only non-opponent backer characters with speaking lines. Since backers are unable to voice their characters, actors will be provided based on the characters' attributes. Designs and backers' input are taken to consideration, with a sleight exception to the $500 tiers, so as long as it works with the game's hardware and software limitations. The designs will also be "TOMEified" to fit the show's design style with some modifications for the game's limitations and to avoid any copyright issues. Since only becoming an overworld NPC is the perk, the $30-60 tiers will remain nameless. While $90 backers are only given a speaking line with an NPC, their names have been confirmed on the TOME Check-In Stream on August 7, 2018. Despite that the campaign had officially ended on November 4, 2017, there were several occasions where non-backer fans were given the opportunity to have their characters inserted into the game: *On November 4, 2018, a TOME 7-Year Anniversary Giveaway was announced where fans' names on Twitter were drawn on a raffle and the four winners would fill in the remaining spots for the backers whom were unable to complete or finalize their backer agreements. The winners were announced on November 11, 2018 on the series' 7-year anniversary and the characters' drawn stream went live on November 30, 2018. *On March 30, 2019, a TOME Fan-Art Contest was announced where both non-backer fans and returning-backer fans are given the opportunity to create and submit fan-art of the game on Twitter. The contest will be judged by Mike Luckas (co-creator and character artist), Zack Frost (character designer), John "Helios" Freeman (background artist) and Michael Scott Prinke (head programmer). The fan-art requirements will consist of an interaction with selective characters of the game with the fan's original/fan character albeit with no inappropriate content, no dialogue or any intentional references to the franchise' two predecessors series, as well as it must be submitted on Twitter with one entry per person. The contest will end with three winners with prizes consisting of a background NPC for the third winner, a speaking NPC character for the second winner and a fighting opponent for the first winner. Backers from the $30-90 tiers are the only ones eligible to participate in the giveaway, although all backers are encouraged to still make fan-art. The contest concluded on April 15, 2019 and the winners were announced on April 30, 2019. *On June 22, 2019, a charity auction for an enemy character was announced in which an eBay auction will be placed on June 25 and will run through June 30, in which returning and new fans will be able to bid for the opportunity. The enemy is equivalent to the $200 opponent tier from the Kickstarter campaign. Unlike the previous occasions, all participants (including higher-tier backers) are welcome to the auction. Half of the proceeds go to New Alternatives, a New York-based charity function, due to June being Pride Month. The final hours were livestreamed on June 30, 2019 in which the auction raised $790. The characters' drawn stream went live on July 10, 2019. *On September 30, 2019, a giveaway was announced for another enemy character as a prize. Much like the Anniversary Giveaway, a raffle is used and only $90 and below backers are eligible to participate. Unlike the giveaway, additional social medias alongside Twitter are allowed. The campaign ended on October 7th, 2019 and the winners' drawn stream went live on October 11, 2019. $500 · $350 · $200 · $90 · $30-60 Backer Characters/$500|$500 Backer Characters/$350|$350 Backer Characters/$200|$200 Backer Characters/$90|$90 Backer Characters/$30-60|30 Category:Character Category:Characters Category:TOME RPG Category:Background Characters